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Tracking Owls

So in GoF and OotP, Hedwig is able to take letters to Sirius, even though Harry doesn't know where Sirius is. How does that work? Also, if owls are able to find the addressee without the addresser knowing where he or she is, why couldn't the Ministry use owls to find where Sirius is by "sending him a letter"?

Hmm. Interesting. I think the Ministry could have done that, but they'd need a very good owl, like Hedwig, and even then, I don't think there's any way of tracking where the owl goes. So the owl could reach Sirius, but Sirius doesn't have to say where he is and the owl can't really get it from him. In OoTP, the Ministry suspects Harry is having contact with Sirius and the Order and I think that if they had a way of tracking his owls rather than just intercepting them, they would. Perhaps they don't have the magical technology to do that.

In response to the first question, I think the answer just is 'it's magic'. I can't think of any other way in which Hedwig could know where Sirius was. Perhaps owls have an inate tendency, like Thestrals, to just know where someone is, but some are just better at it than others. Perhaps Sirius tells Hedwig where he's going to be each time she visits? Though I suspect that he wouldn't have known himself until he actually decided to leave.

Maybe it depends on the fact that Sirius sent the first missive. He knew where Harry was when he sent him the broomstick, and he knew Harry was at Privet Drive. Hedwig only flies to Sirius when the exotic looking bird has already brought Harry a birthday cake. She does also take a long time getting to him.

As Sarah said, the Ministry could send all the letters they want, but unless Sirius writes a letter back to them, they won't know that he's either got it and the owl can't tell them Sirius' whereabouts.

Umbridge is only able to track Hedwig because she's noticeable. The only other way she can operate is by getting Filch to check outgoing messages.

So in GoF and OotP, Hedwig is able to take letters to Sirius, even though Harry doesn't know where Sirius is. How does that work?

It’s magic, of course. It seems that an owl can always deliver a letter.

Originally Posted by grimlysirius

Also, if owls are able to find the addressee without the addresser knowing where he or she is, why couldn't the Ministry use owls to find where Sirius is by "sending him a letter"?

That’s a good question and JKR was actually asked it:

Originally Posted by JKRWebsite(FAQ)

In 'Prisoner of Azkaban', why couldn't the Ministry of Magic have sent Sirius an owl, and then followed it, to find him?
Just as wizards can make buildings unplottable, they can also make themselves untraceable. Voldemort would have been found long ago if it had been as simple as sending him an owl!

You can’t argue with that, though it still doesn't tell us everything.

Maybe the reason owls can find people is a variation of the "sense" that people claim animals have, like dogs that bark before an earthquake. I know that when my cat is hiding in my wardrobe, lightning is on the way

There have been claims of animals calling 111 (NZ emergency number) when people are in danger. If that is possible, who says that (magical) animals might not have this ability enhanced to the point that they can find anyone?

As for tracking them, maybe the owls (Hedwig etc.) are so loyal to their owner that they do their best to lose any trackers (after all, Hedwig goes to get Harry birthday presents (POA), how can you explain that?).

As for ministry owls… who knows?

Hope that helped
Jess

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